Montana among least religious states, study says

Montanans aren’t reliable church-goers, according to a WalletHub report on Easter.

Montana resembles most other Rocky Mountain states and West Coast states with fewer than 40 percent Christian adherents, the website said. The only nearby states with strong Christian church membership were North Dakota and Utah, more than 60 percent Christian, and Idaho and New Mexico, with 50 to 60 percent who are members of Christian churches.

It’s not crystal clear why Westerners, northern New Englanders, several Rust Belt states, the Virginias and Florida appear to have the lowest rates of church membership, along with Alaska and Hawaii, while Southern and Midwestern states sport higher percentages of Christian adherents. This data on church membership came from the Association of Religion Data Archives; see this map: http://bit.ly/1UkNMQJ, ranking Montana 40th in church membership in the nation as of 2010. Maine ranked 50th.

Perhaps blame the fierce independence of Montanans, and that we’re less inclined to join an organized religion. Late cartoonist Stan Lynde used to depict his character, Hipshot, as worshipping outdoors amid the extraordinary beauty of Montana.

In a November report, the Pew Research Center said a poll showed 89 percent of Americans believe in God, and three-fourths of adult Americans claimed a religion. But it said the number of adult Americans with no religious affiliation rose from 16 percent in 2007 to 23 percent in 2014, with many millennials in this group.

Meanwhile, WalletHub noted Easter is the most popular day for Christian church attendance, and it said 51.3 percent of Americans plan to attend church on Easter Sunday. For more, go to wallethub.com/blog/easter-stats/19776/.

Number of the Week

$2,672

That’s how much Gov. Steve Bullock’s campaign plans to reimburse the state for trips in which the governor combined state business with campaign events. Republicans say the figure, which aims to pay for the pilot’s time spent cooling his heels, is low. It would make sense to us for Bullock’s campaign also to pay for a percentage of the use of the airplane; total costs of the air trips are in dispute. We think the Democrat would be wise not to quibble over a small amount of money and up the reimbursement, rather than appear to be making a half-baked gesture just to get the GOP off his back.

Quote of the Week

“I’m just really pleased with how the program is going and the progress being made.”

— John Goodnow, Benefis chief executive, on a Medicaid expansion plan in Montana numbering 38,298 people so far, including 12 percent Native Americans.

Record-breaker

Western Art Week in Great Falls last week proved to be a record-breaker for The Russell events that raise beaucoup bucks for the C.M. Russell Museum each year.

This year’s gross total of $9.4 million raised by The Russell events for the nonprofit museum beat the previous record of $8.1 million in 2015. It helped the total that a Thomas Moran painting sold for $3.6 million this year at the Saturday night big auction.

The net proceeds for the museum were $1.4 million in 2014 and $1.3 million in 2015. Let’s hope this year’s net total, to be announced in the coming months, will be the best yet.